Young Writers Society

Alis

I went into an unoccupied bedroom, and sat down on the edge of the bed. I thought over the Generals offer. A month ago, I had refused. A month ago, though, Riley hadn't been back to her normal self. The more I thought about it, the more and more tempting his offer became. The night's events replayed in my mind.

I ran down the street, into a dark alley. Riley wouldn't notice I had left for a while. She didn't notice anything anymore. Besides, this was personal. I heard footsteps behind me, and turned around to shoot. I heard a yell, and an officer collapsed to the floor. I turned, and saw two more people were suddenly at the end of the alleyway. In turning around again, I was aware that they had me on all sides. I raised my gun, but an expert hand shot it out of mine. I reached for my spare, but someone grabbed me from behind.

"Be quiet, and we don't kill you," a man's voice said. "Stay calm, and I'll release you," I squirmed, trying somehow to hit him. Another man pressed a gun to my head.

"Be still, be quiet." He said.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"General William, of the US Marshals." I calmed down, and stopped fighting. The man behind me slackened his grip as soon as I had calmed down. "It would be unfortunate to have to kill you. I really do have a lot of respect for your type. Besides, you are so very useful."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I hissed.

"Miss Carso, let's be reasonable. You are connected with the Fishers. They are all wanted, some even in America's Top Ten. You yourself, are wanted. However would it not be better to get five of the Fishers, and let one go free, than to capture just one?"

I knew where he was going, "What do I get?"

"First of all, I won't kill you. But I know with you, you require more than just life as payment. Half of the prize money, and we clear your name." The General grinned.

"If I say no?"

"I won't kill you. But I will have you take my contact information, if you change your mind." He took a folded sheet of paper out of his pocket. I looked at it, and freed my hand to put it in my jacket.

"I must say no, General,"

"I think you will come around, my dear. I shall expect a call from you Miss Carso. I know your type, I know how you think. For now I must bid you goodbye,"

"For now, General." The man holding my wrist let go, and the general gave a slight bow as I walked off into the darkness.
I looked at the piece of paper in my hand, and almost took out my phone, but decided against it. Not now, not when so much could go wrong.

But the general, as he predicted, would be getting a call from me.

((she doesn't learn from her mistakes, does she? Me and Kay are going to work this into the ending of the fourth))

Riley

“Dismissed,” I said after Maitea left. The others, those that were left anyway, got up and walked out of the room. “God, I’d make a terrible public speaker. I can’t keep an audience for ten minutes.” I laughed to myself quietly.

I went to my room, and put the few things I had unpacked back into my duffel bag. I was going home. After nearly six years, my emotions were conflicted. Twenty minutes ago I had been so excited, but now I was beginning to see the problems.

Going home would be good, but it really was too obvious of a place to hide, and maybe I was stretching it when I said a month. Everyone there knew what Tia and I looked like, so we couldn’t be seen at all. I probably couldn’t go outside at all. The second problem would be the fact that there would likely still be chickens roaming around the area, and putting me with access to a gun within shooting range of a chicken wouldn’t be good. And a gunshot would probably attract unwanted attention, mostly because sound carried far over the flat plains of Kansas. And third, it would be so hard to leave when we had to. After finally getting a chance to go home, leaving wouldn’t be easy.

Still, there were so many reasons that hiding there would be a good idea that staying anywhere else seemed out of the question. I was brought out of my train of thought by a knock on the door.

Ace

"I never really put much thought into the future, obviously," I admitted, reaching over to stroke her hair as she laid her head on my shoulder. "Maybe we could just change our names and move away, to somewhere with lax government that won't care. I don't know. Maybe some remote island," I laughed. I'd heard of somewhere where people used to run off to, but I didn't remember what the place was called. And, well...they'd probably cracked down on that by now anyway. "Or maybe we can try to buy them off."

Turning my head, I gently kissed the top of hers. "How come you're putting so much thought into this now, Maitea, if you don't mind me asking? Or is it really just a spur-of-the-moment thought?"

Before she could answer, I said, "When we're eighty-three, I'll be that old dude who sits on the porch throwing stuff at kids who come too close to my yard. I'll just chuck something at the police and tell them to get the hell off my lawn."

"Ace, I was being serious," she laughed.

"So was I. Now, come on. How come you're putting so much thought into this all of a sudden?"

Reg Carter

After Riley had dismissed everyone and the swift transformation from a gang meeting to a silent, lifeless lounge, I'd decided to stay there and just think. This gang - one that had clearly lost its purpose a long time ago - was no longer just a gang. It was a family. Sure, in a family you can hate, laugh and cry, but you can also love too. It replaced that blank ache from the loss of my parents. I needed to see my sister again, but I needed to know that if I did, Riley would be safe. With Alis and Tia pondering around, that shit looked unlikely.

No, for now I'd merely have to wait. Like I'd always done. Reginald Carter had a promise to keep. Carter would defend the Tiger - even if it killed him. Obviously, this meant another thing. I'd have to return to playing my part. I needed to be the cold bastard I once was. No tolerance, absolute discipline. I needed to forget any feelings I had for Riley. It'd only turn out like Bree - just my luck. No. Reg Carter was back and somehow my bastard brain felt sorry for the pricks like Alis, Tia and Jack.

This shit would only get worse...

...I'm back.

I am going to move this along a little.

Tia

I awoke to someone shaking me. Instinctively, I pulled the gun off my bedside table and pointed it into their face. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Riley, what the hell?” I demanded.

“We’re leaving. Get up. I told you to set your alarm, and you didn’t.”

“Let me get dressed!” I protested.

“You have two minutes,” She said sharply. She stormed out of the room, and grabbed her coffee off the side table it had been resting on. I rolled my eyes, and pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt.

“Let’s go,” I said, walking out of my room and slinging my bag over my shoulder. Riley nodded at me, and we all walked towards the door. Riley was going home, I was going back to the place I had been forced to spend every day of the summer of the first five years of my life, and all the torturous visits after that.

To Riley, it was obvious that going home was more than just a place to stay for Riley. She wanted the emotional connection, it was obvious. She wouldn’t admit it, though. I knew my cousin, and I knew she was more emotional than most people gave her credit for.

Maitea

“I just sort of had been thinking about it lately, I don’t know. I was thinking about my parents the other day, you know. They were part of a gang too, but they knew they couldn’t keep running. So they just got their names cleared and joined up with the Spanish Military. Without telling me, obviously. If they had then…” I trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. But I couldn’t help but finish it in my mind; then Bree would be alive. “But that’s why I was thinking about it anyhow.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think we’ll be joining the American police force any time soon.” Ace laughed, and I couldn’t help but join in. “Still, we have years before we need to think about that.”

“Your right, I guess,” I sighed, “I worry too much,”
________________________________________

I yawned, and woke up. Seven in the morning. Lovely. I went to the kitchen, and sat down next to Ace.

“Sleep well?” I asked him, kissing him quickly on the cheek.

“Pretty well, yeah.” He shrugged.

“I can’t believe Riley is making us all get up so early,” I sighed.

Howard

I heard the wake up call, and as usual, looking forward to moving. Things needed change around here to be interesting at all, and as nice as it was to be in my quiet spot, it was a pretty frozen place. I got dressed quick and grabbed a sort of oatmeal chocolate-chip bar for a mini breakfast out of my backpack. It had been in there for a while, so it was a little stale, but tolerable and edible.

I used to wake up this early all the time, not really much of a reason. There were things to do, places to go, why sleep going nowhere? Well, recently, I suppose that was most of all I had done in quite a while, but that was because there wasn't a place I could go. Now, I was ready to be awake as I wanted, and ashamed at the faces I passed by.

Everybody around me was cranky. I don't see why they had to be, considering we had reasons to move. It wasn't an enjoyable hike timed horribly, it was more on-the-run stuff.

"I can't believe Riley is making us all get up so early", Maitea sighed as I got to the kitchen.

"Hey, quit your whinin", I rolled my eyes, "Could be way worse"

Okay, I know this is bad, but I don't have time so could someone bring Jack in??

((I hate to say it, but I must ask the same for either Mark or Eve, but probably Mark. I know I've been gone for a long time, but I'm trying to change that. I just need someone to being me in and help me get started. ))

I have brought in Jack, Mark & Eve. By the way, I just want to thank everyone - this is a unique storybook. You all write extremely well and you've all made it a very enjoyable experience too!

Reg Carter

Riley was running around upstairs getting people up and ready to move out again; hopefully for the last time in a good while, but I guess we wouldn't know - everything was chance these days. I, on the other hand, hadn't moved from my position on the sofa; there was simply no reason to. I wanted to travel alone today. I was sick of most things, sick of people and sick of the same company day in and day out, but that had mainly come from a long night of thinking and little sleep. I grabbed my coat, holstered my 9mm and spat on the muddy flowerbed in the front yard. The morning air was fresh, breezy and, most importantly, carried a thrill of refreshing relief. I loved the outdoors and that little fact had made me miss being on the run all those years ago.

Taking out the keys to my 4x4 I suddenly remember it had been a long time since I'd had that car. It was before I was almost shot dead. Worse; when I was almost shot dead and forgotten. Hell, I would go after anyone - always would, but the only one who came after me was James. Everyone else assumed I was dead, even Riles. I hadn't thought about that 'till now. God, I loved that car. I threw the keys in a bit of shubbery in the yard. Looks like I wasn't going to be travelling on my own today then. Bloody typical.

Eve, Mark and Jack all crammed out the doorway behind me. The stumbled past and headed for a car near the sidewalk. Jack patted Mark on the back and headed over to his motorcycle, he managed not to make a single reference or insult to me. Perhaps he's learnt his lesson. Perhaps he knew that his time was a hell lot sooner than mine. Eve and Mark took their bags and Jack's and threw them into the trunk of their car. I walked up to them before they could close it and chucked in my hoody. It's all I ever took on the run, it's all I ever needed now. The rest'a the shit could stay in this cute little suburban house and rot.

"I'm ridin' with you," I told them and opened the passenger door, taking out some sunglasses and placing them on my nose.

"You look like shit, Reg," Mark replied.

"Suits me," Eve mumbled and clambered into the rear seats.

Mark came into the driver's seat and lit up a cigarette, rolled down his window and puffed a ball of smoke outwards. We'd have to wait for Riley or Tia, since they're the only people who knew where this farm was. I liked this idea. There was a sense of freedom to it; a sense of safety for Riles and that glorious chance that I'd finally be able to go out and see my Sister; hug her once more. Be with my own blood; feel that warmth I once felt with Bree.

"You're too damn quiet today, Reg," Mark stated. "Got problems?" he chuckled at himself.

"Memories are quiet, Mark. Real damn fuckin' quiet," I sneered back. "They're so bloody silent, not even I hear them no more. They're quieter than dead - 'tis as though they never existed. All this crap we do, cussin' at one 'nother; does nothin' Mark. The memories still go quiet."

Mark was speechless - he'd probably thought I'd gone mad. In a sense, I guess I had. What'd you expect? I'd been closer to death than all of them. Shot so many times, saved so many lives, but taken so many too. I wasn't human, not no more. I was quiet. 'Tis all I'd ever be.

"Too God-damn quiet," I repeated again.

I apologize for the length. But I couldn't leave anything out.....

Riley

The many hours that must have passed for us to get there seemed to go by so fast. Everything was a blur, clouded by my fear of discovery. After what seemed like less than an hour of traveling, the limo jerked to a stop.

I was out first, and for the first time in nearly six years looked at my house. I leaned against a fence post and just looked at it for a minute, and then realized that everyone was waiting for me to say something.

“Get your stuff, go in. I’ll be inside in a minute,” I said.

The house was exactly as I had left it. The broken section of fence, the barn paint peeling. A chicken walked up near me, as if to greet me. Grinning, I took out my gun and with one bullet killed it. The rest of the gang turned around in shock as the noise from the shot went off.

“What the hell, Riley?” Alis demanded.

“I’ve been waiting to do that for six years.” I explained. Most of them shook their heads or mumbled something, but I ignored them. I jumped over the fence, and walked over to the barn. I opened the door, and went to find my horse.

He was just a foal when I had left, but now Chariot was full grown. I put a saddle on him, and got on. I patted his neck, and pressed my heels into him to get him moving. For the next hour I explored the land we owned, taking her last to the corral.

“Let’s see what you can do,” I said, and pressed her to go faster and faster. It was all just like when I was little. I would race Bree on her horse, Daisy. I always won, even though I was younger than her.

I slowed Chariot to a stop. Something had been bugging me ever since I got here. Now I knew what it was. The whole place felt wrong without Bree here. I brought Chariot back to the barn, and went back to the house. I wasn’t in the mood to ride horses anymore.

I hesitantly walked up to the house, and opened the door. I knew where I wanted to go, and ignored the stares from the rest of the gang as I brushed past them all. I went up a flight of wooden stairs, and down a hall. Her room was the last one; the only one with a bright pink door. I put my hand on the handle, and then took it off. I couldn’t do this, but I had to. Before I could think about it anymore, I pushed open the door to Bree’s room.

My mom had been right, everything was the exact same. I stepped into the middle of the room and slowly looked around. Soft cream colored walls (covered in posters of movie stars), pink bed cover, pictures of our family covering the wall. Nothing had changed.

One particular picture was on her bed, as I imagined it had been when she left. I went over and gently picked up the picture frame. The glass was intact, but the frame was still whole. I gently moved the glass aside, and took out the picture. On the back was written, Riley’s Victory 2087. The picture was of me and her, when I had won the town horse race. Her arms were wrapped around me, and I was holding the first place trophy. I was grinning, so pleased to be the center of attention. Bree was the reason I had won. She could have won, but at the last second pulled her horse back to let me win. And I never even thanked her for it.

I set the picture back on the bed, and walked out of the room. I shut the door softly behind me, and then walked over to the other end of the hall. I had painted ‘Keep Out’ in big red letters with spray paint on my door when I was six, and the letters remained there even now. I pushed the door open, recalling that I had broken the handle when I was ten. No one had bothered to fix it.

My room was the exact opposite of Bree’s. Clothes littered the floor, and I had painted my name on the black walls graffiti-style with spray paint. I walked over to my bed, and noticed a half-finished English essay on ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. I had never even read the book, as I recalled.

On the table beside my bed there was, stapled together, a stack of all m detention and ISS slips. I counted twenty seven total. I couldn’t help but laugh, I hadn’t changed much. The rest of my room was covered in stuff, each with its own story. A broken baseball bat, a bunch of CD’s stacked in a corner, a bowling pin, a poster of Marion Rio (Bree’s favorite actor)with a mustache.

I walked over to my closet, and found what I was looking for right when I opened the door; my favorite old white jacket. I took of my leather one, and put my white riding jacket on. Noticing a pair of jeans I had ripped with a pair of scissors, I decided completing the outfit wouldn’t be a bad idea. Miraculously, the jeans still fit. Shrugging, I pulled on my pair of cowboy boots. After pulling my hair back into two French braid ponytail, I looked at myself in the little mirror shoved away behind the closet door and smiled.

Maybe it was the clothes, or the braids, or maybe just the uncharacteristic smile on my face but somehow…

I looked fifteen again.

Mark

I leaned against the frame of the door, looking in at Riley. She seemed different, like happy. I never thought I would see the great Riley Evens like this, but there I was. I liked it. It looked like she was having fun, looking back at some memories.

"Is it tough?" I asked. She jumped with surprise and turned around. I chuckled softly.

"What do you want?" she asked, annoyed. She was back to the old Riley...well, not quite. Just being here made her different.

"Is it tough?" I repeated.

"What do you--"

"Is it tough...being here...without Bree." I cute her off. She looked down, but didn't say anything. I took a step into her room, and she took a step back. I frowned. "Jack told me what happened to her. I'm really sorry."

"Don't be." she said. I sighed. She wouldn't open up even the slightest bit with me.

"Look Riley, I hate your guts for what you did to Jack, but do you really think I'm some careless, dried up jerk? I know it hurts you being here, surrounded by memories of her, with her gone. I only asked to see if you would talk to me a bit." I said. "If we're going to be traveling together, we're going to have to work out some differences."

"Well, I don't even want you here, so we really don't." she said. "Feel free to leave." I ignored her, and looked around, a smile on my face. I didn't dare make a comment, though, with the look Riley was giving me.

"Nice outfit. You ride?" She didn't answer. That was a stupid question anyway. I just wanted to talk to her a bit. With what Jack told me, she was a pretty nice gal...before she broke his heart. I would always be mad at her for that, but maybe I would hate her quite so much if we talked a little. I didn't think that was going to happen, though. Then again, she seemed a lot softer here. "You look like a little girl." She moved her hand towards her pocket for her gun, but I held my hands in front of me. "Whoa there cowgirl." I said with a slight chuckled. "That was a compliment." I put my hands down as she put her hand back at her side. I didn't take my eyes off them, though. I knew Riley, and she was one to make a quick move if someone offended her even the slightest bit. She wasn't insecure, it was just reflexes.

"So, how long has it been?" I asked, hoping she would answer. I really did want to talk to her. It seemed like she needed someone to talk to too. I just hoped she would except me as that person.

She didn't answer for a while, so I added, "Look Riley, we can go right back to hating each other after this. I just want to talk a little." We stared at each other for a bit; my eyes completely innocent and kind, her eyes tough...but softening.

((Sorry if it's terrible. I'm still kinda trying to get into it.))

Reg Carter

After I'd pulled my hoody out from the trunk I just decided I'd take a little walk over the land that used to be Riley's home. I never knew Riley when she lived here, barely knew her well now if I was honest. She was the kind of person who kept mostly to herself, and although I could tell a lot by her character, all I really was in this gang was a bit of a bodyguard. People only knew so much about me. Riley, of course, knew my sister was alive.

Kind of ironic though, isn't it? I thought as I walked along a small stream that ran parrelell to the edge of a field. Everyone who knew my sister was alive and her location; I'd killed them. But then chose to tell Riley. I ignored the thought and for some reason blamed it on a lack of trust that seemed to have aroused recently between us. Despite the fact that I didn't know Riley's home, I felt like I did. The cool, country air, the natural beauty of surrounding and the priceless quiet of life was so homely. It was as though each and every one of us had something behind our figures when it came to our relationship with nature.

An elderly man, about 5ft 6" walked on a cobbled bridge over the stream and nodded his hat as he saw me. He looked curious - as he had every right to be - but I was even moreso. I must've been walking so long that I was no longer on Riley's land. God knows where I'd ended up. I caught up with the old man and smiled gingerly. Last time I'd trusted someone like this, he blew a few shotgun shells into my chest.

"Evening young lad," he said politely. "You ain't from around here are you?"

I smiled gratifully and held out my hand. "No, I'm not. New 'ere you see; name's Jimmy. Jimmy Carter."

The old man placed his walking stick from his right hand to his left and then grabbed my hand and shook it firmly. He grinned as though I'd told a joke and then spoke softly, "I always wondered what'd be like to run into one of you, young lad. My name's Daniel Prince; and that's my real name."

I laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about, Daniel." I knew he'd probably know I was from the Fishers and wanted, but I also knew that when a man reaches a certain age he begins to allow curiousity and adventure to take over as priorities instead of conscience and morality. He wouldn't call it in; he'd savour the moment. As would I.

"You're Reg Carter!" he roared and chuckled, "but you best watch your face around these parts, everyone knows who you are. You're infamous. All 'cause you're on board with Riley Evans - she used to live down here you know."

"All too well, Daniel," I replied. "I'm not exactly a big player in her grand scheme of things."

The old man smiled. "Don't be silly, young lad. She'd be dead without you. I've seen the news, surprised you're still alive; here in flesh n' blood. Quite miraculous, I do say."

I nodded and smiled awkwardly at his compliment. I wished so hard James were still around. That simply fact would mean I could go and see my sister once again. Instead, for now, I'd continue to walk with the old man until there was sight of population and people, then I'd walk back to Riles' house and just blend in.

Maitea

Much of the gang had taken to looking around the outside of the house, but I had stayed inside.

I found it hard, somehow, to picture Riley growing up here. Bree, of course, was easier to picture. But something about this house didn’t scream pistols and gang fights, as I had always imagined Riley’s life to be, as so many of our lives were. Funny how I came from a much rougher background than her, and still I was considered softer and gentler, though not by much.

The whole house was very country themed, everything from the light wooden furniture to the various pots of fake flowers. It was picturesque, and so beautiful.

I didn’t even think Riley realized the one thing she would always have over me, the fact she had a childhood. I was born and raised in the alleyways of Spain, even at five years old stealing to make my mother proud. I was introduced to the concept of guns at three, and learned to shoot at four. Though, I never actually killed someone until I was seven.

I couldn’t picture Riley here, hard as I tried, but Bree always came to the back of my mind. If I hadn’t shot her, she would likely be here with us. Looking at her home, talking endlessly to us about each item in the house. But she couldn’t, and it was all my fault.

Riley

"Look Riley, we can go right back to hating each other after this. I just want to talk a little." Mark said.

"Fine, I can talk I guess," I paused for a moment, thinking.

"What's wrong, Riley?" The one thing I had always hated about Mark, he knew exactly what I was feeling. That had been great when I first got in the gang, but now it was just inconvenient.

"Everything here reminds me of Bree, it's driving me crazy. I can't even look at a chair without some painful memory coming back. And I can't help but think, what would happen if I had never left."

"You would have never met the Foxes, never run your own gang, never met James. But your sister,"

"Would be alive," I finished his thought. Was it worth it really? Everyone who had died, because I made one mistake. That’s what it was, a mistake. I shouldn't have run away, I should be a normal farm girl. Everything I could have been; beautiful, accomplished, loved by my family, normal. "I threw it all away." I spoke aloud.

"What do you mean?" Mark asked.

"I threw away everything I could have had, a normal, happy life. Never having to kill someone, never looking back and wondering what I could have prevented. Having a family that was proud of me, being able to go out in public without the risk of being shot. I lost it all,"